2011

Hey Shredder

7 questions for guitarists

Eddie Roberts

The New Mastersounds

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Eddie Roberts by John Margaretten

Eddie Roberts is a blindingly good guitarist. As I once tipsily gushed at him on Jam Cruise, “The way you play makes me believe you just think faster and more smoothly than the other monkeys out there.” The New Mastersounds guitarist simply offered a cocked eyebrow and a slight smile. One thing Roberts does not lack is confidence, and his command of his instrument and the flow and rush of his band, particularly onstage, is something special. In another cat, it’d come off as cocky but Roberts has the skills to pay whatever bills are served up, his playing offering happy flashes of Leo Nocentelli, Melvin Sparks and Grant Green. The texture and tone of his work – equal measures super clean and growlingly nasty – is as important as the undeniable technical ballsiness he displays, and while others may not hear it, these ears catch some of Paul Weller’s gift for instinctive tastiness and riff consciousness. Eddie’s also an increasingly strong vocalist on the group’s most recent studio foray, Breaks From The Border, where he also offers a taste of his phenomenal tambourine talents – a much, much harder instrument to make swing and interlock with others than most understand. Still, it’s Roberts six-string prowess that will likely cement him in most folks’ minds, and as such we asked Eddie to tackle the Impound’s guitarist survey.

read on for Eddie’s answers

We'll Do It Live

Outside Lands 2011 (Day Three)

08.14.11 | San Francisco, CA

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John Margaretten makes the final day of Outside Lands look like a hell of a time. It’s a joy to see people really engaging with the world and each other, and a smile ripples through this fine set of pictures, where even the vegetation seems vibrantly happy. There’s also some boffo shots of The Stone Foxes – really the best pics we’ve seen of this hot shit young band – opening for the Warren Haynes Band, who are no slouches in the hot-shit-ness department themselves, at the post-fest after-show at The Independent. Thanks, John!

7 Minutes in Heaven

Motopony

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We set the timer and snuggle in with our favorite new bands in the Impound’s version of speed dating with a killer-diller soundtrack.

Motopony

It’s finally happening to me
The thing I just had to believe
It will be seven years in June
I knew my time was coming soon

Throughout the glimmering, seductive self-titled debut (released May 24) from Seattle’s Motopony, the sense of the possible looms, hope and promise perhaps fleeting but manifest despite all the water under the bridge and detritus collected on our banks. It’s also a freakin’ catchy rock joint, full of icy charm, slinky riffs and one of the most intoxicating new vocalists to hit in a spell. Diversity is the rule, but each shape-shifting segment is infused with sincerity, cleverness and a lean musical sensibility that’s rich but never bloated. This is a band carving out their own sound, even as they faintly echo some choice antecedents like Aztec Camera (“King of Diamonds”), early Brian Eno (“Seer”) and Dr. Dog (“I Am My Body”). Motopony is on the way to something and their searching is absorbing and passionate enough to make one want to grab their satchel and join them on the road to…wherever.

We caught up with lead singer-songwriter Daniel Blue to dig into the band’s zeitgeist (and y’all can catch the band on a pile of newly announced dates in September and October).

Read the rest of this entry »

We'll Do It Live

Outside Lands 2011 (Day Two)

08.13.11 | San Francisco, CA

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Music, especially in the live setting, is a mix of passion and craft, the heart and calloused hands. When this mixture really gels the results are spectacular, and things were gelling pretty dang well on Saturday at Outside Lands based on these primo snaps from John Margaretten.

We'll Do It Live

Outside Lands 2011 (Day One)

08.12.11 | San Francisco, CA

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John Margaretten has an almost tactile knack for capturing the joie de vivre of musicians. His eye and instincts catch those little tells that emerge onstage where we see the real human being inside the performer as they flash upon that thing that drives them to make music and share it with people. Dirty Impound was fortunate to have John on the scene at this year’s Outside Lands festival in Golden Gate Park. Over the next few days we’ll be showcasing his shots from each day, starting with last Friday’s rousing kickoff to what has become one of the premiere festivals in the U.S.

The Free Bird Project

Slightly Stoopid

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Kyle McDonald from Slightly Stoopid has kindly offered up his talents to The Free Bird Project. Our pal lensman Brad Hodge took this shot on the band’s bus before their performance at Red Rocks Amphitheatre (see more pics from that night here). The band is crossing the country as the headliners for the Seedless Summer Tour along with fellow Southern California bands Rebelution, Shwayze and Cisco. Check out tour dates here.

Kyle McDonald of Slightly Stoopid by Brad Hodge

Are you interested in giving Dirty Impound the finger? Are you in a band? Well, we wanna see whatcha you got, cowboys (and cowgirls)! Send us your birdie pics and we’ll add them to our archive and make sure folks know you cared enough to raise a middle finger for rock! Send pictures to freebird@dirtyimpound.com